House tour: $5.9 million Montreal condo

$5.9 million Montreal condo takes up an entire floor that was originally intended to be five apartments

The entrance foyer.

Photograph by: Robert J. Galbraith
, The Gazette

You might want to bring your sunglasses if you visit this beautiful modern residence, as there may not be a brighter, more naturally lit domicile in the entire city of Montreal.

Located at 265 Mont-Royal, the south-facing condominium shines like polished ivory, with its huge, 6,313 sq. ft of living space covered wallto-wall with white Bianca Carrara Marble. Long, oversized windows allow copious amounts of natural light and warmth to beam in and bounce off the marble, white walls and high coffered ceilings.

Upon entering the domicile for the first time, the visitor might believe they are walking on a cloud, a very heavenly cloud that hovers above Jeanne-Mance and Mount-Royal Parks. But this is no fleeting cumulus mirage.

Situated on the top second floor level of the former Sir Mortimer B. Davis YMHA Building (built in 1929), this immense space was entirely rebuilt in 2010 and now takes up the entire floor as one apartment. The space was originally intended for 5 condominium units.

Part of the renovation project included the construction of a second-floor solarium and an expansive private terrace offering sweeping panoramic views of both parklands.

Upon entering through the arched sandstone doorway of the 11-unit building, the main foyer spills open into a large English hall-like space, with a staircase made of local Philipsburg marble, and the original oak wainscotting and mouldings on the walls and borderlines.

The building is a great example of the recycling of a former public building into modern conceptual living spaces, with the sandstone and yellow brick exterior maintaining the ambience and character of a neighbourhood that is nothing short of a volcano of inspiration to anyone interested in architecture.

This residence with four bedrooms and four bathrooms is being co-listed for sale by Sotheby's International Realty Quebec for $5.9 million. Cyrille Girard and Liza Kaufman are the Sotheby's brokers for the residence.

"In Montreal, we don't see that many large units on one floor that are more than 4,500 square feet. It's really, really rare and is on the same luxury and space level as Paris, Chicago and New York. It's also the nicest park-side apartment that I've ever seen for sale in Montreal," stated Girard. "It's also the most expensive condominium presently for sale in the Plateau."

The broker explained that, "it's usually $350 up to $400 a square foot average on the Plateau. Downtown it is from $650 to $700, except high-end condominiums that can go for $1,000 or more a square foot, depending on location and desirability."

This condominium has a kind of loft feeling to it because it's so large, with a spattering of super-clean, industrial chic. For example, the original coffered ceilings are constructed of cement. This approach to building is often found in architecture from the invigorating Art Deco Movement of the 1920s, '30s and '40s. "The finishing has a bit of a rough edge to it, as it's from the Art Deco era, when things were built to last. But it's very beautiful isn't it?," asked Girard.

The layout of the residence is wide open and very minimalistic, with everything having a time and space, without emphasizing empty space. The layout of rich wood furnishings, the strategic placement of carpets and vivid, modern wall art, makes the former recreation and office space come alive in a 21st century way.

A rarity is the beautifully restored 25-metre, four-lane indoor swimming pool. It is only one of two such pools in a residential building in Canada. This is a serious pool where you can do laps without feeling as though you are swimming in a shoebox. So after an afternoon of cross country skiing, or a walk in the park, your pool will be waiting.

The renovation was conceived and designed by developer, Mario Di Palma of Jutras Developement Immobilier, who is the owner of the property along with his wife Ulrika Wrese.

"Mario can go into a space and feel its atmosphere and develop it. He doesn't have an architectural background but is self-taught and mixes his artistic side with his business side. He likes to combine new and traditional," explained his wife, who is a real-estate broker for Jutras.

"We had originally thought about designing two apartments with lots of little rooms on the second floor but we decided to take that space for ourselves and live here. It's a great place for social gatherings and it's in a great location, close to downtown; I love that," concluded Wrese.

For more information contact Cyrille Girard at cgirard@sothebysrealty.ca 514.582.2810 or Liza Kaufman at lkaufman@sothebysrealty.ca 514.933.4777.

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